KUALA LUMPUR – Rhetoric on race, religion and royalty (3Rs) repeatedly crops up in Malaysia because certain politicians keep using religion as political fodder, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
Saifuddin was answering questions raised by lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat during MPs’ debate on the Malaysian Human Rights Commission’s (Suhakam) 2020 Annual Report.
“It’s true that our (lawmakers’) final goal is to have power. But, if political differences are turned into differences in faith, there will be severe implications,” he told the House today.
“(The notion that) supporting our party means that only then are you (the people) faithful, as if supporting (a certain party) is doing God’s work – this is a problem in our nation.
“It is best to steer away from this. (Let) politics be a battle of ideas and policies, and let the people choose,” he said.
Saifuddin was responding to points raised in Suhakam’s annual report about the problem of 3R rhetoric in politics.
He said the police have a special task force to deal with 3R issues through investigations and by referring cases to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.
“Our differences are just political and should not be made into differences about faith (religious belief),” he added.
While in the Dewan Rakyat, Saifuddin did not name any specific political party or politician.
At a press conference later, however, the home minister named Marang MP Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, who is also PAS president, for making “holier-than-thou” statements such as saying that those who support PAS would go to heaven and were faithful to Islam, while those who did not would go to hell.
“The problem with Marang is that he has never been present in Parliament. He never has engagements face-to-face.
“I have been in Parliament for a while, and I have yet to see a moment where Marang engages with other MPs. So, it is a one-way traffic,” Saifuddin said, referring to statements that Hadi frequently disseminates through social media channels or speeches at the mosque.
Saifuddin stressed that although Suhakam had highlighted 3R issues in its annual report, lawmakers should focus on practicing politics based on policies and not religion.
In the Dewan Rakyat earlier, Saifuddin’s remarks on the same matter irked Zulkifli Ismail (Jasin-PN), who accused the minister of slander and malicious intent.
A commotion quickly followed suit, with the lawmakers racing to cite the Standing Orders against each other.
Saifuddin asked Zulkifli to state exactly how he or the opposition had been slandered but the latter could not provide specifics.
Subsequently, Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor ordered Zulkifli to retract his statement. After refusing several times, the latter ultimately relented. – The Vibes, June 14, 2023
